For a moment the captain stood transfixed. It was a terrible reality. What was to be done?
It was some time before his nerves were steady enough to enable him to advance to the verge and peer over.
But all down below was as black as Erebus.
Forgetting himself, the captain tried to shout down into the abyss, but no answer came back, of course.
Was Von Bulow forever lost?
Was he buried beneath that coral reef, never to be seen again by human eyes? It was terrible!
The captain’s brain began to work in devising some scheme for rescue, but it was in vain.
He leaned far over the verge.
Ha! was he dreaming, or was his eyesight true? Was not that a star of light far down there in the darkness?
He believed it was.